Apparatus for storing fluids



March 3, 1931. 'w. G. LAIRD' 1,794,383

APPARATUS FOR. STORING FLUID'S n finedr Nov. 1'?. 1925 5 sheets-sheet 1 March 3, 1931. n w. G. LAIRD 1,794,383

APPARATUS FOR STORING FLUIDS viledNpv. 17, 1925 @sheets-sheet 2 f-f7 Fa .3 A l l L J kamj WILBUR'G. LAIRD- Snom/woz i Ri@ March 3,- 19311. w. G. LAIRD l 1,794,383

APPARATUS FOR s'roRINe FLUIDsj iled Nov. 1.7, 192:5 :s sheets-sheet s WILB-uR G. LAIRD gnou/tot Patented meej-3,1931

UNITI-:o STATES PATENT folFlcE WILBUR G. LAIRD, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIt'NOB' T0 DHEBTY RESEARCH COMPANY,

'0 1' NEW YORK, N .Y., CORPORATION OF'DELAWABE] .sumamos noa'sroanre munis application mea November 11,1928. serial m. 675,287.

This invention relates to an apparatus for storing fluids and, more particularly, to meth `ods and apparatus for the storage, ofgases and of liquids of an inflammable or volatile nature. lt also relates to methods and apparatus for storing petroleum and for the treatment of the petroleum during storage.

The storage opetroleum and its more volatile products in such'a way as toprotect them against loss through evaporation and against danger of fires .involves a number of diculties. As the temperature of the petroleum rises,-it tends to give ofdissolved gases and vapors and, if the liquid is in contact with *the atmosphere, the loss is increased by the greater tendency for the evolved gases. to permeate this atmosphere until saturated.

Owing'to the very great size of the tanks required-for the economical Stora e of the oil and tothe pressure that would e generated on a hot day by this evolution oit gases and vapors, it would be impracticable or impossible to construct closed tanks of suicient size and strength to confine the petroleum and its products under thepressure of their own vapors. Even the most eiicient' storage methods therefore `merely cover the tanks, in which vthe liquid is stored, with a roofyof sucient tightness to hold the vapors under slight pressure 'and prevent the free, circulation of air thereinto, but-which is provided with vents that enable air to be drawn in when the pressure in the tank drops below a definite limit and permits this air, togetherwith whatever vapors it has icked up, toghe expelledy when the ressure rises to a fixed limit, slightlyalbove t at of the outsideatmosphere. Ac-

' cordingl when the vapor space' in the 'interior of t e tank is cooled, `as at night or ima rain storm, air is drawn into the storage tank, becomes carburetted by contact with the stored liquid, al? y vapor by the su s rays, this pressure 1n the tanki'sy increased and `the air andvapors are expelled, the cycle being repeated to a greater 'or less extentwith each'- change -in atmosph'eric conditions. t

These disadvantagesare overcome by my present invention` an' object of which 1s to provide an apparatusv :for storing liquids of.

of air or gases and are in contact lembodying a :form of my invention, upon the reheating 'of the` this type b which they are protected from contact Wit circulating -or changing bodies with bodies of theirown vapors or gases.`

Another object of the Iinvention is to pro` froma number of closed tanks may be permitted to breathe into and from a closed system without exposure to the outside atmos- Phare In this breathfin of the vapors some of the lighter vapors rom .the crude petroleum lare driven from the liquddn the outward vide an apparatus by which vapors and gases an vapors laterJ drawn`intopthe tankswhen breath' g in.

As t e number of tanks that may be cared -for by a singleholder is limited, it is desirablefto have all ofthe tanks and holders under a common system, another object of the invention is Fto provide apparatus by meansof which the variousholders may be automatically maintained inY balance when interconnected.

With these and other objects in view, the i invention comprises the methods and appaand set forth in the followratus describe mg specliicatlon and claims.

The various features of the inventionl are illustrated in the accompanying drawings,

in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a storage ystem etails of construction, such as hne drips, condenser draw-oii'sand 'similar details bein clearness, c

Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the storage system shown iii 1, 'taken' on line 2-2 of storage apparatus,

omitted 1n this and subsequent iguresfort e sake of Fig. 4 is a plan View of the storage appa- Fig. 5 is a sectional view of a self balancing gas holder, the side walls being shown with exa gerated slopes,

ig. 6'is aside view, partly-in section of a gas holder having weighting devices for providing a self balancingv o? the holders when a number are interconnected,

Fi@ 7 is a detail sectional view of a balancing bucket forming part .of the-holder of.

Fig. 10.

ln my present invention the oil or other liquid is stored in a closed storage tank and the atmosphere of gases above the stored liquid communicates with a gasholder adapted to hold a variable volume-pf gas under 'a substantiall Juniform, .low pressure. The tanks are a apted toi-held the gases and vapors evolved fromthestored liquid under a pressure slightly greater than that of the gas holder without leakage or substantial distortion and, accordingly, when additional vvau pors are generated or the pressure is increased by the action of heat until ythe pressure is Greater than the back pressure from the gas liolder, the gas iows to the holder, the'capacity of which expands under substantially `pors corresponding to the vapors of gasoline,

constant pressure, so that no gases or vapors escape from the system. When the pressure in the storage tanks falls, due to a drop in temperature or in barometric pressure, and consequent tendency for the gases and vapors to contract and condense, the excess gases flow back from the holder, the holder being under suiicient pressure to cause the backward iow of the gas before it drops below atmospheric pressureand without drawing in any air from the outside atmosphere. The gas holder has a bell that is sealed in water and forms a closed system that avoids all contact between the outside atmosphere and the oil and vapor storage system.

When .the gases yare tanks, they are saturated with volatile vapors from the stored liquld, the volatile vas naphtha, and other light etroleum products.

If desired, the ,condensi le vapors may be abstracted from the system before the gases return to the storage tanks, by condensation or other suitable means., only the comparatively drygases and uncondensiblel vapors being returned to be again saturatedv and expelled intothe closed system. Inthis way, a preliminary removalV vor topping of the petroleum may befobtained withoututhe use,

additional refining equipment andusingv the sun as thesourcepof heat. If desired means may be employed Afor Aaccelerating the ab. sorption eration. Y-

Y The number oftanks. that-can-be served by a single holder iS limited depending O the sizes'of the'tanks and of the holder, the

reathed 'out from thev of solarheat for this topping opi desirable to interconnect the' holders and tanks so as to provide greater exibility in the operation of the holders. For this purpose, it is desirable to have the holder so arranged that they rise and fall uniformly, that is, that one is not lifted to its upper limit and opportunity for the escape of gases afforded while the other holders are only partially filled. This is provided for in the present invention by providing the holder bells with weighting devices or drag. buckets, or by varying the cross sectional area of the bells at different levels, so that a continuously increasing, gradual pressure is developed as the bell is lifted. Accordingly, if one/bell is lifted to a height above that of the others,

the increasedpressure.tends lto force the ges to theother holders until they are brought to substantially the same level.y

Referring more particularly to the .companying dra-wings, in Figs. 1 and 2, pe-

troleum or other liquid to be stored, is placed in storage tanks 10, 12, 14, 16, and 18, tightly closed against the entrance or escape of vapors or gases. The vapor spaces of the tanks connect with a main 20 by means of branch pipes 22, 24, 26, 28, and 30, respectively, and

through the branch main 20 with a gas holder nately cool and heat up, with the variations in atmospheric conditions.

Development .of a partial vacuum or pressure below atmospheric in any o`f the tanks 10--18 is to be avoided, as it is very diiiicult, and practically impossible inthe case of large storage` tanks, to` build tanks that will resist collapsing underan excess of external pressure, even thou h've slightover the extensive areas o fm-tfe tall YS. The gasiholder 32 is therefore arin to' maintain a suiiicicnt pressure abovea to the storage ltanks sufficiently rapid Vt0 prevent the pressures from falling below at- -mospheric even with the most rapid cooling.

For this'purpose, the kholder maybe adapted ospheric to force gas back to maintain apressureqfthree or four inches ter, forv ex`ample`, `within the holder. ks# refalsbuilt vapor tight A able-' o- ,withstandinga pressure sufiic'iel tlyzabovefthat ofthelga'syholder to'force gastofthe-fhol conditions, with- ,i Ader 'under a l out distortion or leaking. l v Forthis purpose,

' The as holder 32 is provided covered by passing the rthe tanks are preferably provided with a roof having the form of a portion of a sphere, similarv to those of gas holders so that lit will tend' tanksand permitted to pick up afresh charge to stay in shape underJpressure.

with a Water sealed ll 38 which rises and falls to maintain a substantially constant pressure as gas flows into and out ofthe holder, and. is provided with guide frames 40 of the usual or any suitable type. The water sealing of the 'system prevents any contaet of the atmos-J phere with the stored liquids or vapors and thus prevents any escape of the stored liquid into'the atmosphere as long as the system remains unbroken. l

When crude petroleum is stored, the vaporswhich are evolved into the gases circulating through the system contain those constituents that make up a large and most valuable part of'gasoline. When desired,the condensible portion of these vapors maybe reases andV va ors through the condenser 34 as they flow ack and forth betweentheholder 32 and the tanks .I0-18. This condenser may be of any suitable type, being illustrated diagrammatically in the accompanying'drawings, and is` cooled b'yanysuitablecoolingrneans to ay temperature sumciently low to cause the condensation of vvapors froml the gasfvapor mixture. Accordingly, with each backward and forward flow ofthe gases, a part of the liquid evaporated in the tanks 10-18 by the suns heat is recov ered in the condenser 34 as a gasoline disffl@ tillate'. When the production of a gasoline product in this 'manner is not desired, however, the gases are caused toflovv through the by-pass pipe 36. When the pipe 36 is used, rapid changes in the temperature of the stored liquid and gas are not necessary or desirable, 'butfwhen Ta rapid production of` gasoline in thecondenser 34,-is desired,any

suitable means may be used for causingl a more rapid absorption of the suns heat and for increasing the number of cycles of alternate heatingand cooling. v i

'lhe modification of the invention illustrated -in'Figsj and 4 is particularly adapted to encourage the recovery of gasoline through the heating e'ect of the sun, or by Solar Topping. This isfobtained' by ca'us' f ing a stream of gases to circulate through the.

tanks, picking up lightor gasoline vapors,

' extracting the condensibleconstituents from these' vapors and return the denuded or dry vapors to the tanks to pick up a fresh' charge of vapors. For this purpose, the wet or sati urated vapors are withdrawn from ythe tanks 10-18 throughbranch pipes 42, 44, 46, 48, and 50, and mains 52 and 54, separate from the branches`22'-30 and mains 20, which are used for the return of dry or denudedgases,

' 'and pass through condensers 56 cooled sulfi- .-ciently to condense vapors from thegases.

The gasesare then drawn from the `condensers through a return 'pige 57 an exhausterblower or bo0ster58 an supplied to the main 20 from which they are assed td thevarious is slowly heated by vatmospheric `changes which create an increase in pressure, the excess gas .llows freely into the gas holder and Whenthe system is cooled again the pressure lfdrops below that of the gas holder, the gas freely Hows from theholder to the tanks, in the samemanner as described in connection with the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

When the system is in normal operation in connection With the booster 58 it is preferred to have the holder, if it contains oil storage,

serve'in' a similar, manner to the other storage tanks. To accomplish this, the valves 60, in a by-pass pipe 62 and 64 in a pipe 6.6 are opened. so that the dry gas from pipe 20 may pass through the holder and issueas Wet gas into the ipe 54 from which it ovvs through sel the con enser and to the intake side of the ,l

booster. Itwill be understood that during this operation, all ordinary breathing may be eectedwithout interrupting the general direction of gaseous llovv. For exam le, when the system is gradually cooled, as y nightfall, the volume of dry gas passing to the holder will decrease, and the volume of wet gas leaving the holder will increase. Similarly, when'the system isheated, as by i11- creased heat from the sun, the, volume of dry ,gas passing to the holder will increase, and

the volume of Wet gas leaving the holder `will decrease.A `VlZheu it is desired to Vsecure a solartop- 'ping e'ect without the aid otthe buoster circulation, the valves 60 and 64 are closed, and the check valves 68 in pipe 70 and 72 in bypass pipe 74 from the holder tothe pipe 57 v will operate in a mannellto take advantage of the atmospheric changes-thatfcause breath` ing, and'will elfect a direction of` gaseous flow Y that will result in solar topping. F or example, as the gaseous volume in the system diminishes', the surplus gas vin Vthe holder Will flow out through the check valve 68 into the f pipe 20 and thence to the tanks 10, 12, 14, 16,

`and 18. Similarly, when the gaseous volume in the system increases, the wet gas Iwill How out through the pipes 42, 44, 46, 48, and 50 into their respective gathering pipes 52 and 5.4 and thence through the condensers` to pipe 57 andinto the ho valve 72.

This solar topping arrangement notwonlty Serves tocut down the variation in tempera- ,ture and the rapidity of temperature changes der through the check in the tanks by maintaining them at a uni- Iformly lower temperature, but also servesA to obtain a product of high quality and valuey from the oil without the use of fuel or of expensive distillation apparatus, and, moreover, a product which is ordinarily lost in the usual type of storage.

When, as is usual in the case of the storage of high gravity crude petroleum, the petroleum contains dissolved gases which can not be condensed and held in their condensed form during storage, there is a gradual accumulation and increase in the gas Within the holder or system. This gas may be pi ed olf at intervals, passing through a suita le abholder successively rises and falls in the sealing liquid this liquid should not be of a volatile or inflammable nature, The usual type of gas holder, having a water seal, is entirely suitable for this purpose.` However, the tank in which this sealing water is contained has a large volume within vthe bell which vwould be-very desirable for the storage of petroleum or its products and which is, in the usual 1 type of gas holder, utilized only for the holding of a quantity ofwater of no value or utility except for theYV maintaining of the water level at the sealing` spacearound the walls of the bell vor lift.

To utilize this interior space for the storage of liquids li hter thanwaterwithout in.

. terfering with t e water seal, the present invention rovides a sealin rin of chea and j Y p g g p' v intervals aboutfthe clrcumference' of the holder bell. The buckets-are shown as 119 'v simple construction bv which thelinterior space may be separated from the water seal- 1 ingspace and utilized for liquid storage. This is accomplished by enclosing the space vat the interior of the tank by a ring oflight weight so arranged that the' liquid stored .within this ring is in hydrostatic balance .with the sealing-liquid outside 'the ring,vt hus' avoiding all tendency to collapse,for reduc- -I described inl my ing suchtendencyto a negligiblei'minimum. vThis holder construction is illustrated and May'10,1927.

In the oil storagesystem ofthe' present in# I this Waterremaining inthe bucketsl and thus,

" `vention, a .number of 'oil storage tanks are connected to'asingle gas holder ormovable Y. `cover storage-tank, the number shown inthe above embodiments beingshownV merely by Way-of example.Y AThe number of tanks-which can beoperated by a-single holder orholder tankf'of-lthe'size suitable'rfor, orselected for, this purpose is, however, limited. .Y Where a 1,628,635, granted" tank farm contains more tanks than a single holder will operate, the tanks are' collected in groups to different holders, which may then be interconnected so that an abnormal demand for gas or for storage space madev on one holder may be taken up by the other holders. f Although these holders should have substantially equal pressures at the same altitude of the lifts, it is difficult, and in some cases impossible, to obtain a perfect pressure balance between all of the holders. and, accordingly, as a very small differential pressure would cause the'gas to slowly flow to, and accumulate in, a single holder of the lowest =pressureiuntil Vthe pressures were equalized, it might frequently .happen that one holder would be filled to overflowing before any considerable capacitywere utilized in the other holders.

The present invention therefore provides a holder so arranged that each holder is caused to create a substantial increase in back pressure before reaching the upper limit of its capacity and thus cause the other holdersv to receive their proportionate share of gas before `any holder is overloaded. In the modification shown in Fig. 5, thislis accomplished by varying the cross sectional area of the l bell or lift so that the pressure is varied as the bell rises.v By decreasing the diameterv of the shell 142, or yslanting'it inwardly, as indicated in Fig.y 5, the weight of the holder bell is thereby distributed over a smaller area at the water level, the pressure per square inch is increased, andlthe greater pressure thrown on thefgas causes it to be distributed proportionately among the other holders.A In the modification shown in Figs. 6 ,and

7, the increase in. gas pressure is-obtained by v Weighting the holder bellas it rises out of thel sealing liquid.v This vis obtained ,by

i mounting a series of drag buckets or liquid holding chambers 144, 146, and 148 at, spaced vplugged separai'l-felyv of each other. 'When the bell [sinks intotlY '-'sealing liquid, the buckets lill withggiva'terandasthe bell rises,the water I ows'ou't of-jtle buckets-punti] the lowest open 1201' or unplugged opening of each bucket irsreac'flied.'v .sthebell rises further, it lifts rapidly adds to'thelweightofthe-hellend f' i rapidly increasesl the internal 'gaseous'. pres4'.12 y

su re ywithin the; bell.VV In the fenibodile'ntqf Figa?, in whichth'ebuck'ets are mountedfon the interior ofthe bell wall,b,the'opening"s 150 l lare provided wit-hipsrnall sealingtubesV 152,.

the outer ends of fwhich maybeclosedby them of water and sealing them against the inow o'f water, `thus reducing ythe pressure within the bel-l.

I n 'drawing oil the liquid from .the storage tanks, it is A,customary todrawJ from the top in order to obtain dry oil and to avoid bottom settlings, and for this purpose, a ",swing piper is usually employed. This swing pipe may be raised and lowered wit-hout opening the tank to the atmosphere by anyof the conimonly used apparatus;

While the invention has been described particularly as applied to an oil storage system, it is to be understood that it may be used `on active tanks such as surge tanks of pipe line systems, run down tanks, work tanks, lease tanks, and, in general, wherever l it may be used to advantage in theAstorage f Y andv not in a limiting sense.

of `volatile fluids. 'llt is tobe understood, moreover, that when a volatile product is separated from the stored liquid under con- L-ditions in wlfiichd suche a separation is not desired, as, for example, in th aseof petroleum in transitin pipe line systems, it may be returned to the body of the storedliquid.

f As changes of construction could be made within the scope of my invention, it is desired that allA matter contained in thefabove as connecting the interior or said beu' Winn-,he gas space at the top of each of said storage" tanks whereby freev passageof gas back and' forth between said storage tanks and ,said bell takes place as the pressurein any of said storage tanks tends to change from the substantizlly constant pressure maintained by ysaid bel.. Y,

3.' Apparatus of the type'described which comprises, groups of gas tight storage tanks,

a' water sealed gas holder foreach group of.

tanks, means connecting the gas spaces of said storage tanks to said'v gas holder to per-` mit thefree passage of gas between' said gas holder and the storage tanks of their respective groups, means connecting said holders to each other, and means for rapidly increasing the gaseous pressures in said holders as they reach a limiting height. f y .4. Apparatus of the type described which {tomprises,groups of gas tight liquid storage tanks, a water sealed gas holder for eachgroup of tanks, meansv connecting the'gas kholders to the tanks to sage of gas between the olders andthe storage tanks ot. their respective groups', means for connecting said holders to each other and spaced buckets on the bells of said holders for pickin up increasing quantities of water .as the bel s rise past a definite limit. i 5.,v Apparatusforv storing and conserving petroleunioi'ls 'oinpising in combination, a gas-tight oil storage tank, a variable'volume gas `holder having a water sealed/bell for permit the'freepas;

description or showninthe accompanying\ storing gas of capacity substantiallyequal drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative lillaving described th invention, what l Aclaim and desire/to secure by 'Letters Patent is v f i y l.- In apparatus for storing and conserving forjconducting gas from said tank into said '10o f to thatof said tank, ay closed pipe connection e' bell, (and separate means, `formingwith. said v ipe connection a closed circuit, whereby gas `1s 'conducted romsaid holder bell back to lsaid tank to "maintain .a'substantially con.

f mineral oils, the combination of a plurality,Zw starrt pressure therein.

tanks tends to vary ot sealed oil storage tanks, a variablevolurn gas holder equipped with a water sealed -bel and having gas storage capacity substaib' tially equal to the capacity of, at least one of V said storage tanks, and a breather line orm. ing a closed connection between the gas spaces at the top ofl each of said storage tanks and the holder belland affording free passage tor gas `betweenlsaid vgas holder and said storage tank as' the pressure in saidl storage holder. 1 y y 2. Apparatusfor storing and'onserving petroleum oil comprising, in combinationa plurality of sealed oil stora etanks, a4 varimentfin hydrostatic equilibriumgtherein, a

v gas bell top foi said liolderof gas storage I capacity substantially equalto the capacity f/ .to one of said, tanks', saidA bell being sealed in said water iomp'artment, anda breatherline,

from that in the gas a breat er line connecting said holder with the top of each of said tanks, said holder" vbeing/operable throughrsaid'breather line to f inaintain a substantially constant'gas presvlll) sure in eachof said, tanks,and a condenser .and connections'interpos'e'd in' said breather line wherebygasolin'e vapors assing through said line'may bey liquefied an kremoved from Y' theclosed systemformed by said holder,

tanks and breather line.

sealed liquidstprage tanks comprising a liquid seal compartment'in one of said tanks, a gas bell of variable gas storage volume sealed 7 yMeans ,for'rconserving vapors .evolved g able volume gas holder 'havlng an inner oil, from volatile liquid storedin a plurality ofl ring forming" an'inner ,oil storage compara'v ment and "an outer 'watersealing compartain said liquid seal compartment, and a vapor i I i bell and the top of each of said storage tanks, said bell being thereby renderedoperable to breather line connecting the interior of said maintain substantially constant pressure n each of said tanks while ermittmg breathing of said't'anks due to c an in temperature and changes in volume o liquid stored therein. l y

8. Apparatus for storin and conserving oil vapors evolved from oi stored in a plurality of vsealed oil storage tanks com rising, a vapor breathing line connectin t e tops of each of said tanks, and a varia le volume liquid sealed gas` storage holder forming with said line and tanks a closed system, said holder being operable to maintain each of said tanks under substantially rconstant pressure to thereby prevent collapse of said tanks due to temperature changes or changes in volume of oil stored therein.

9. Apparatus for storing and conserving.

petroleum oil comprising, a sealed tank for storing oil containing volatile constituents and having an oil storage space and a vapor t space, a gas storage member bein constructed to rovide a variable volume or the storage o gas, a closed conduit between the vapor space of the said tank and the as storage member, and means combined wit said conduit whereby vapors of normally liquid constituents are removed from gas flowing between said tank and said storage member.

In testimony whereof, I aix my signature.

llWILBUR G 

